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BRADDOCK HEIGHTS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

P.O. Box 243 Braddock Heights, MD 21714

PRESORTED STD. U.S. POSTAGE PAID

FREDERICK, MD PERMIT #892

MARCH 2020

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

President's Corner........1 BHHS..................1

Join the BHCA Today!

Membership information below.

BHCA Directory

President: Doug Sims, 301-606-3326 Vice President: Mark Koltz, 240-490-7951 Treasurer: Jody Koogle, 301-371-0558 Secretary: Caroline Milam, 240-409-3189 Pool Comm. Chair: Will Wood, 703-328-0035 Program Comm. Chair: Tom Dixon, 301-371-5690 Property Comm. Chair: Mike Cottrell, 301-371-7827 Member Comm. Chair: Doug Sims, 301-606-3326 Community Center & Pavilion Manager: Natasha Pavlovich, bhca_rentals@

BOARD MEMBERS

Jake Bal, 240-575-8573 Craig Campbell, 301-371-7806 Mike Cottrell, 301-371-7827 Daryl Happ, 301-371-8078 Bill Jacocks, 301-371-966 Penny Jacocks, 301-371-9664

Karen Koltz, 410-440-5932

Jody Koogle, 301-371-0558 Caroline Milam, 240-409-3189 Lisa Tosh, 301-371-9721 Harry Lashley, 301-401-9594

Membership Information

Ask your neighbors if they are members of the BHCA. If not, let them know for $50 annually, they get bimonthly newsletters containing important information regarding the Braddock Heights Community. They will have voting rights at general meetings on issues involving the BHCA pool, park and pavilion. They should also know BHCA represents their interests at the county level when necessary. This includes pedestrian safety, traffic issues, blighted properties and more. We are all volunteers and we need volunteers to support the Board Directors in a myriad of operational areas. The newsletter contains dates of important events - annual spring and fall picnics, pool opening and closing, clean-up dates, etc. Come join the fun! For more information and contact data, go to .

Send dues to: P.O. Box 243,

Braddock Heights, MD 21714-0243

the skating rink in 1942. The first full fire house was built in 1951 on Jefferson Boulevard and included space for two engines, meeting rooms, shower, kitchen, and restrooms. In 1986, the BHVFC moved to their current location at 6715 Jefferson Boulevard. Out of the station, they operate two Class A engines, one brush truck, and one ambulance for an average of 2,300 calls per year.

Please think of our local BHVFC during this uncertain time and consider donating at . Stay safe, ensure your smoke detectors are fully operational, and think of others in the community who may be in need. If you are interested in participating in the historical society, please contact Mark Koltz at markkoltz@. In the meantime, please reach out and share all Braddock Heights memories or memorabilia for our archives.

BRADDOCK HEIGHTS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

MARCH 2020

VOLUME XXXVIII, No. 2



PRESIDENT'S CORNER

Fellow Braddock Heights Residents. Wow! What an introduction to spring in lovely Braddock Height ? teleworking, cancelled meetings, closed restaurants and bars...and a shortage of toilet paper. Who would have guessed? The crisis has impacted Braddock Heights and I'm hopeful our residents are doing all they can do to ensure social distancing ? recognized as the primary method of preventing the spread of the virus. To that extent, your Board of Directors has decided to cancel the annual Easter Egg Hunt, postpone the Spring Sports Parade and Picnic until mid-May (specific date to be determined), and restrict rentals of the Community Center and Pavilion indefinitely.

Season opening on 23 May (this date may also be delayed, but no plans to do so yet).

Our country has faced extreme challenges in the past and I am confident it will survive this challenge, as well. We have to do our part, not panic. Be vigilant about your surroundings and for the time being observe the social distancing recommended by the Center for Disease Control. We will keep you posted on our Facebook page (Braddock Heights Swimming Pool) and BHCA Web page (Braddock ).

Be Safe!

The Board further authorized the Pool Committee to proceed with those pre-opening tasks necessary to meet our scheduled 2020 Swim

Doug Sims, President, BHCA

BRADDOCK HEIGHTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY (BHHS) NEWS AND INFORMATION

With the Coronavirus (COVID-19) taking center stage, it is a good time to thank our local first responders at the Braddock Heights Volunteer Fire Company (BHVFC) for all that they do. Formed in 1910, the BHVFC's first president was Edgar McCardell and John Markey served as the first Fire Chief. In 1912 the BHVFC got their first official home on the corner of Maryland Avenue and Jefferson Boulevard. Built by the Frederick Railroad Company, the building used to store equipment and house a substation.

Among the most infamous days in BHVFC history was surely August 12, 1929. That day the Hotel Braddock, considered the crown jewel of the town burned. The hotel was built just 24 years before the accident, and in its short span played host to hundreds of out-of-towners who found leisure in Braddock Heights during the summer. With views of both the Frederick and Middletown valleys, the 70-room hotel featured every modern convenience of the period, including rooms with baths, wide verandas, a grand ball room and a garage that could accommodate 15 "machines."

amounted to $100,000 in 1929 currency (more than $2 million today). The only salvaged hotel property amounted to less than $100 and included dining room chairs, porch furniture, mattresses and other bedding. Before vacating, some guests threw personal belongings out of the windows and gathered them up after their escape. Those who didn't act quickly lost all that was left behind.

The company's first motorized fire truck (a 1923 flood light truck) was in put into service in 1935. The BHVFC installed a fire siren on top of

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About 50 guests were evacuated from the building in their gowns and robes and were given shelter by nearby cottagers. Fortunately, there were no deaths or reported injuries. The cause of the fire, which started between the third floor and the attic, was never determined. It burned at a rapid pace with the help of wind, putting nearby structures in danger of the flames. The BHVFC with help from the Independent Hose and Citizens Truck companies, doused the nearby buildings with water when it became apparent that saving the hotel was a hopeless cause. The estimated cost of damage

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